MPCA NEWS

On April 14, 2015, the U.S. Senate passed a historic piece of bipartisan legislation that includes $7.2 billion in mandatory funding for Health Centers over the next two years, and extends funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program, and Children's Health Insurance Program. The Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as the SGR bill, previously passed the U.S. House before Congress adjourned for the Spring recess. President Obama signed H.R. 2 into law on April 16, marking a major victory for Health Centers and protecting access to care. “On behalf of Michigan Primary Care Association, my sincere appreciation extends not only to the grassroots advocates—Health Center staff, board members, patients, partners, and friends—but also to the U.S House of Representatives and Senate,” said Kim Sibilsky, MPCA's Chief Executive Officer. “Also, I commend the leadership demonstrated by Senator Debbie Stabenow throughout the development of the bipartisan bill, which was persistent and vital.” Click here to read MPCA's statement in its entirety. Please take a minute to thank Senators Stabenow and Peters and your U.S. Representative who voted "yes" on H.R. 2 in support of Health Centers. There are two opportunities on April 23 for you to learn what H.R. 2 really means for Health Centers and what advocacy action steps Health Center advocates should be prepared for in the future. MPCA is hosting a webinar titled, "The Funding Cliff: What You Need to Know," at 1-2 pm ET on April 23 for Michigan advocates—click here to register. Immediately following, NACHC is hosting a national teleforum at 2 pm ET—click here to sign up to receive the call; or, join the teleforum directly by dialing 1.877.229.8493 and using PIN 15035.

Registration Open for 2015 Health Center Board Member Training

MPCA is once again hosting its annual training for Michigan Health Center Board Members. This year's training will take place on one full day, May 12, 2015, 8:30 am-4:45 pm, at the beautiful H Hotel in Midland. Click here for the draft agenda. Online registration is open until May 4. Click here to register for the training and for information on reserving a room at the H Hotel. Please note that in order to receive the MPCA room block rate, reservations should be completed no later than April 27. We hope you can join us!

MPCA is Hiring

MPCA is hiring for the positions of Information Systems Manager, Clinical Specialist, Health Center Operations Specialist, and System Administrator I. Click here for more information about each of these positions, and please share with others who might be interested.

Please note that you must be logged in to MPCA’s online community when registering for MPCA-hosted events to receive a discounted rate if your organization is an MPCA member. If you are subscribed to the MPCA eUpdate, you have a profile in MPCA's online community. If you have forgotten your password, please use the "forgot password" link under the sign-in box to reset your password. If you need further assistance, please contact info@mpca.net.

MPCA posts job openings at Michigan Health Center Program grantees, Michigan FQHC Look-Alikes, and MPCA active member organizations. To submit a job opening for posting in the online MPCA Career Center and in the MPCA eUpdate, email the job title, a brief overview, a bulleted list of qualifications, and instructions on how to apply to info@mpca.net with Job Posting in the subject field.

New Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Launches

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) became official at midnight on April 10, 2015. This new department—the largest of the state's departments—is the result of an executive order Governor Snyder issued in February for merging the Departments of Community Health and Human Services to focus on people, not programs, with the goal of improving outcomes. Governor Snyder and MDHHS Director Nick Lyon recognized the launch at an April 14th press conference at the Ingham County Department of Health and Human Services in Lansing. Click here to watch a video from the press conference. As outlined in a press release on the Governor's website, "The MDHHS organizational structure reflects the department’s vision and priority areas, and as such will have a special emphasis on children’s services, aging and adult services, service delivery/community operations, health services and family support, as well as population health and community services." Read more

U.S. House & Senate Pass Budget Resolutions

Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed their respective budget resolutions for fiscal year 2016, which begins on October 1, 2015. This passage moves the federal budget process one step closer to a possible Budget Reconciliation bill sometime later this year. Both of the budgets passed are non-binding and represent only a marker on the majority’s current priorities. Read more

CMS Issues Proposed Rule on Meaningful Use 90 Day Reporting Period

On April 10, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new proposed rule for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs to align Stage 1 and Stage 2 objectives and measures with the long-term proposals for Stage 3. The new rule proposes modifying Meaningful Use requirements by shortening the 2015 Electronic Health Record (EHR) reporting period from one year to 90 days. Under the current reporting requirements, eligible professionals are required to report for a full calendar year starting January 1, 2015. After considering recommendations from NACHC and other stakeholders, CMS is working to reduce complexity and simplify reporting requirements in an effort to keep more providers on the path to Meaningful Use. CMS urges all stakeholders to provide input on this issue. Please note this is a proposed rule and CMS is accepting public comments until May 29, 2015. A final rule will then be drafted and could be issued this summer.

CMS Proposes Mental Health Parity Rule for Medicaid and CHIP

On April 15, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to align mental health and substance use disorder benefits for low-income Americans with benefits required of private health plans and insurance. The proposed rule applies certain provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Act ensures that mental health and substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than medical and surgical services. MPCA staff members are currently reviewing the proposed rule and evaluating the opportunity to comment. If you have any initial feedback that you would like to share with MPCA, please email Phillip Bergquist. Read more

U.S. House Panel Hears Testimony on 340B Drug Pricing Program

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health heard testimony from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on March 24, 2015, regarding the 340B Drug Pricing Program. As summarized by NACHC, 14 Members of Congress participated, many of whom expressed broad support for the 340B program and specifically for Health Center participation in the program. Many Members of Congress also emphasized the need for improved transparency and accountability. NACHC attended the hearing and submitted a statement for the record. Supporting materials, including witness testimony and a background memo, are available on the Energy and Commerce Committee website, as is a link to watch a recording of the full hearing. For eligible organizations not currently enrolled but interested in participating in the 340B program, the next quarterly enrollment period will be open July 1-15, 2015. Click here to learn more.

Blue Cross Complete to Spin Off into New Company

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is currently reviewing documents submitted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for Blue Cross Complete to become a for-profit limited liability company in a joint venture with Independence Health Group, a Philadelphia-based Blues plan.Read more

MDCH Announces Additional Updates to Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit

On April 1, 2015, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) announced additional pharmacy services updates regarding the upcoming request for proposal (RFP) for the Comprehensive Health Plan Contract for Michigan's Medicaid Health Plans. MDCH has reversed its previous announcement that Medicaid drugs would be carved out into a separate statewide contracted vendor. MDCH's new plan allows for the continuation of Medicaid health plans to manage the pharmacy benefit but requires them to use a common formulary. The RFP will be released in May, after which MPCA staff will do a significant analysis of the entire bid, including the new pharmacy formulary, and its impact on Health Centers. Stay tuned!

Healthy Michigan Plan Renewal Supports and Resources

Last week the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported a drop in the total number of Michiganders who are enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Plan to 581,769, which is almost 22,000 fewer beneficiares than had coverage on March 30, 2015. (MPCA’s Health Coverage Enrollment Report provides a breakdown by county of that reduction.) This clearly delineates our newest challenge that will test the Healthy Michigan Plan’s ongoing success: completing the renewal process. MPCA has created several resources to support consumers in understanding the renewal process, including a Michigan Medicaid Renewal Infographic, Michigan Medicaid Renewal Guide, Healthy Michigan Plan Enrollment Worksheet, MIcoverage.org, and customizable marketing and outreach tools. You can access these resources, including Spanish and Arabic versions, in MPCA’s Outreach and Enrollment Toolkit at www.mpca.net/oetoolkit. Additionally, MPCA is hosting a Michigan Health Coverage Renewal Training webinar on April 29, 2015, at 8:30-9:30 am ET for enrollment assisters including MI Bridges Navigation Partners, Certified Application Counselors, and Navigators. The training will introduce a step-by-step guide to help consumers successfully renew their coverage. Included in the guide is information about renewal correspondence, how to complete a renewal online or by mail, and how to submit requested proofs of income, as well as deadlines for taking action. Click here to register for the training.

MDCH Releases Information on Quarterly Newborn Recovery Claims

The latest batch of Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Quarterly Newborn Recoveries is currently being processed. This batch includes fee-for-service claims for newborns that were retroactively enrolled into a Medicaid Health Plan. Please note, as with previous quarterly newborn take backs, claims must be submitted to the Medicaid Health Plans within 60 days from the Medicaid Remittance Advice date. Please review this information on how to verify the Adjustment Source of your claim. Providers with further questions can contact provider support by phone at 1.800.292.2550 or by email at ProviderSupport@michigan.gov.

The MPCA eUpdate is a weekly e-newsletter intended to keep Michigan Health Centers, MPCA members, partners, and friends updated on the latest happenings impacting Health Centers and providing care to the underserved. Please feel free to forward this to interested individuals, or they may request to be added to the distribution list. Information from outside organizations does not represent an endorsement by MPCA, and opinions expressed by outside authors are not necessarily official positions or policies of MPCA. This project is 80% supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the $1,186,260.00 grant number U58CS06824 titled “State and Regional Primary Care Associations”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.